Guillotine-type paper cutter



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l/aee/s, K1504 20.9.9541. #1 652 United States Patent 3,501,988GUILLOTINE-TYPE PAPER CUTTER Dino A. Morelli, Pasadena, Calif., assignorto California Institute Research Foundation, Pasadena, Calif., acorporation of California Filed May 31, 1966, Ser. No. 554,029 Int. Cl.P26d 5/12 US. Cl. 83-171 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A papercutter of the guillotine type which, for a given lift-size capacity, isconsiderably smaller and lighter than prior paper cutters of this typeand which has a low profile so that the operator, from his station atthe front of the machine, can readily observe the lift of paper and theoperation of components, such as the backstop, rearwardly of the knifeand clamp.

The paper cutter is hydraulically powered and all hydraulic componentsare located below the table to prevent contamination of the uppersurface of the table with hydraulic fluid, the same being true of all ofthe lubricating systems. The knife bar is guided at its ends bylaterally sloping ramps which resist only downward forces acting on theknife bar, so that the knife bar can disengage the ramps in the eventthat the knife encounters an obstruction. The knife-bar drive meansincludes a yieldable hold-down means normally maintaining the knife baron the ramps. The ramps are upturned at their lower ends to deceleratethe knife bar at the lower end of its stroke.

The present invention relates in general to paper cutters and, moreparticularly, to a commercial paper cutter of the guillotine typeespecially suitable for use by printers, stationers, or the like, to cutlifts of paper into stacks of rectangular sheets of smaller sizes.However, various features of the invention may be embodied in otherapparatuses, such as industrial paper cutters, or, more generally,machines for performing various predetermined operations on workpieces.

As background, the invention contemplates a paper cutter of the typewhich includes: a table for supporting a lift of paper to be cut; aguillotine-type knife above and extending laterally across the table andmovable downwardly and laterally through the lift of paper to cut samewith a shearing action; means for guiding the knife along a laterallysloping path to achieve the desired shearing action; means for drivingthe knife along its laterally sloping path; a backstop and a fencerespectively engagea-ble with rear and side edges of the lift of paperto properly orient the lift relative to the plane of cut, the backstopbeing above and extending laterally across the table and normally beingperpendicular to the table and parallel to the plane of cut, and thefence projecting above and extending along one side edge of the tableand normally being perpendicular to the table and to the plane of cut;backstop drive means for advancing the backstop forwardly toward theplane of cut to advance successive portions of the lift of paper intopositions to be sheared by the knife; means for guiding the backstopalong its fore-andaft, longitudinal path; a clamp engageable with thelift of paper adjacent and rearwardly of the knife to prevent theshearing action of the knife from disturbing the uncut portion of thelift; means for guiding the clamp vertically into and out of engagementwith the lift of paper; and means for driving the clamp.

As a general statement of the objects of the invention, the primaryobject is to provide a paper cutter of the foregoing type which is animprovement in various re spects on prior paper cutters of the sametype.

3,501,988 Patented Mar. 24, 1970 'ice More particularly, general objectsof the invention are to provide a paper cutter of the guillotine typewhich, for a give lift-size capacity, is considerably smaller andlighter than prior paper cutters of this type, thereby requiringsignificantly less floor space and, in most instances, requiring nospecial footings, or the like. For example, the invention has beenembodied in a paper cutter for 42-inch by 4-inch lifts which weighs lessthan 3,000 pounds, as compared to prior paper cutters of the same sizeweighing as much as 12,000 pounds, and which requires less floor spacethan prior machines of the same size.

Another general object of the invention is to provide a paper cutterhaving a low profile so that the operator, from his station at the frontof the machine, can readily observe the lift of paper and the operationof components, such as the backstop, rearwardly of the knife and clamp.More particularly, another object in this connection is to provide apaper cutter wherein the space above the knife and clamp is completelyunobstructed, there being no yoke, or the like, in this region to raisethe profile of the machine.

Still another general and extermely important object of the invention isto provide a paper cutter wherein all of the major components, i.e., thebackstop, the knife and the clamp, are fluid driven, and specificallyhydraulically driven. With this construction, various mechanical drivingelements characteristic of prior machines, such as flywheels, clutches,lead screws, gear trains, and the like, are all eliminated, which is animportant feature.

Another general object of importance is to provide a paper cutter whichincludes a floor-engaging base carrying the table, the knife, the clamp,the knife drive means and the clamp drive means, the plane of cut andthe clamping zone being directly above the base so that cutting andclamping forces are transmitted directly to the base. The base supportsan intermediate lateral zone of the table adjacent the front edgethereof so that the major portion of the weight of the table, andcomponents carried thereby, is transmitted directly to the base.Consequently, it is merely necessary to provide a small auxiliarysupport for the rear edge of the table, which auxiliary support may beconnected to the base, or engage the floor.

The base is preferably an extremely rigid structure capable of beingsecured to the floor at only two laterally-spaced points, the auxiliarysupporting means for the rear edge of the table engaging the floor at athird point spaced rearwardly from the base in the event that it is notconnected directly to the base. With such a threepoint support, themachine is unaffected by any uneven settling of the floor or footings onwhich it is mounted.

Still another object in connection with the base is to utilize it as areservoir for the hydraulic fluid employed to operate the backstop,knife and clamp drive means. Preferably, the fluid motors incorporatedin at least some of the drive means are located within the base so thatany leakage therefrom is discharged directly into the reservoir, whichis a feature of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hydraulically-poweredpaper cutter wherein all of the hydraulic components are located belowthe table to eliminate any possibility of contamination of the uppersurface of the table with hydraulic fluid. Another object in thisconnection is to locate all lubricating systems below or at pointsspaced laterally from the table to avoid lubricant contamination of theupper surface of the table.

An important object of the invention is to provide means for lockinghydraulic fluid in the knife drive means when the knife drive means isnot in operation so that the knife can descend only slowly in the eventof leakage of hydraulic fluid from the knife drive means. Thisminirnizes any possibility of injury to the operator in the event ofaccidental descent of the knife.

The invention contemplates mounting the laterally-extendingguillotine-type blade or knife on a laterally-extending knife bar theends of which are guided upwardly and downwardly along laterallysloping, parallel paths. A basic object of the invention in thisconnection is to provide a knife-bar guide means capable of resistingonly downward forces acting on the knife bar, and incapable of resistingupward forces acting thereon. With this construction, the knife bar candisengage its guide means in the event that the knife encounters anobstruction, thereby eliminating any necessity for any separate overloaddevice.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paper cutter wherein thebase includes laterally sloping, parallel rams above table level onopposite sides of the table, and to provide the ends of the knife barwith ramp followers respectively engaging the ramps and movable upwardlyand downwardly therealong to raise and lower the knife bar. A relatedobject is to provide two such ramps on each side of the table inlongitudinally spaced relation, the ends of the knife bar being receivedbetween the longitudinally spaced ramps of the respective pairs so thatsuch ramps act as gibs resisting any forces applied to the knife barlongitudinally of the table.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide ahydraulic knife-bar drive means, below the table, which includes ahydraulic knife-bar drive motor of the reciprocating type orientedsubstantially parallel to the ramps and connected to one end of theknife bar, and which includes yieldable knife-bar hold-down meansconnected to the other end of the knife bar. With this construction, theknife-bar drive motor applies a cutting force to one end of the knifebar substantially in the direction of knife-bar movement, the knife-bardrive motor being inclined at a slightly greater angle than the ramps toapply a hold-down force to the corresponding knifebar end. The yieldablehold-down means connected to the other end of the knife bar normallyholds the ramp followers at such other end of the knife bar on thecorresponding ramps, but permits such other end of the knife bar to risein the event that the blade encounters an obstruction, which is animportant feature. A related object is to provide a hold-down meanswhich applies a holddown force approximately proportional to the cuttingforce applied by the knife-bar drive motor.

An additional object of the invention is to provide th knife-bar rampswith arcuate valleys at their lower ends for decelerating bothhorizontal and vertical motion of the knife bar at the lower end of itsstroke. With this construction, the knife bar can be driven at fullspeed until it has completed its out through the lift of paper.

Another object of the invention is to provide the table, in the plane ofcut, with a laterally extending groove containing a repairable cuttingstick penetrable by the cutting edge of the blade at the bottom of itsstroke. More particularly, an object is to form the cutting stick of amaterial capable of being smoothed, by the application of heat, orotherwise. Still more specifically, an object is to make the cuttingstick of a heat softenable material having heating means embeddedtherein.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide the guillotine-typeknife with back clearance between the knife and the plane of the cutthrough the lift of paper. With this construction, forward forces on thefront gibs during the cutting stroke are minimized.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guillotine-typedouble-edged knife of diamond cross section one cutting edge of which isseated in a downwardly-facing, inverted, V-shaped groove in the knifebar to expose the other cutting edge. Another object in this connectionis to secure the knife to the knife bar by means of laterally spaced,upwardly and forwardly sloping bolts threaded into the knife at theirlower ends and having heads at their upper ends seated against the knifebar, the bolts being disposed in forwardly facing, upwardly andforwardly sloping channels in the front of the knife bar. With thisconstruction, the knife may be removed from its V-shaped groove merelyby loosening the bolts sufficiently to permit lateral withdrawal thereoffrom the bolt channels. Thus, the bolts serve as a means for handlingthe knife, which is an important feature.

Another object in the foregoing connection is to provide the bolts witha low spring rate and to provide them with a diameter which is small anda length which is large as compared to the cross sectional dimensions ofthe blade. With this bolt construction, once the bolts have beentensioned, they will hold the knife in its V-shaped groove in a positivemanner even if cutting forces drive the knife farther into its groove.

It is conventional in paper cutters of the type under consideration toprovide the clamp or clamp bar and the backstop with laterally spacedclamping and pushing fingers, respectively, which intermesh in theforwardmost position of the backstop to permit advancing the rear edgeof the lift of paper as close as possible to the plane of cut prior tomaking the last cut through the lift. An object of the invention in thisconnection is to make the clamping fingers on the clamp bar laterallywider than the pushing fingers on the backstop to obtain a given area ofclamping engagement with a minimum clamp-bar dimension longitudinally ofthe table. This construction minimizes waste at the rear edge of thelift of paper, which is an important feature.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a hydraulicclamp-bar drive means which includes an upright clamp-bar drive cylinderbelow the table, rearwardly of (or within) the base, and connected tothe ends of the clamp bar. More particularly, an object in thisconnection is to provide clamp-bar guide means on the base at oppositesides of the table, a laterally-extending torquetransmitting memberbelow the table and having cranks at its ends which are connected to therespective ends of the clamp bar, and means connecting the clamp-bardrive motor to the torque-transmitting member.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the clamp-bar drivemotor with an adjustable stroke so that if the machine is used to cutlifts of paper of less than maximum height, it is unnecessary to movethe clamp bar through its maximum stroke. This results in a considerablereduction in the time required to make a number of cuts in a low lift ofpaper.

A further object of the invention is to provide clampingforce controlmeans responsive to the widths of the particular lift of paper being cutfor applying to such lift a clamping force which is a function of itswidth. A related object is to provide such a clamping-force controlmeans which may either be manually operated, or which automaticallysenses the width of the lift of paper and adjusts the clamping forceaccordingly.

It is essential that the backstop move longitudinally of the table alonga path which is perpendicular to the plane of cut, and one of the mostimportant objects of the invention is to achieve this result with aT-square backstop guide means located below the table and having alongitudinally extending leg which projects forwardly from the backstopand which is located under the front portion of the table when thebackstop is in its forwardmost position. This construction achieves avery substantial reduction in the over-all length of the machine, asopposed to a construction wherein the longitudinallyextending leg of theT-square guide means projects rearwardly from the backstop. The endresult is a considerable reduction in the floor space required by themachine, elimination of a slot in the table, and a considerablereduction in the weight of the machine, since it permits most of theweight of the machine to be carried by the base in the mannerhereinbefore outlined.

Another and important objectin connection with the backstop guide meansis to incorporate in the longitudinally-extending leg of the T-shapedbackstop carrier a hydraulic motor of the reciprocating type, and toutilize in conjunction with such motor a motion multiplying means, e.g.,a motion doubler, for producing a backstop stroke greater than, e.g.,double, the stroke of the motor. With this construtcion, thelongitudinally-extending leg of the carrier may be made short enough tobe received between the backstop and the front edge of the table whenthe backstop is in its forwardmost position, without increasing thedistance between the backstop and the front edge of the table beyondthat required to handle normal stacks of sheets cut from the lift.

The T-shaped backstop carrier has a laterally extending cross barlocated under the table and connected at its ends to the ends of thebackstop above the table. An object in this connection is to provideconnectors or connecting means, between the ends of the backstop and theends of the cross bar of the T-shaped backstop carrier, which aremovable along the side edges of the table and which are laterally thin.A related object is to run the connector at the fence end of thebackstop in a laterally narrow slot between the fence and thecorresponding edge of the table, such slot being sufficiently narrowthat it does not interfere with proper support for the correspondingside edge of the lift of paper.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide anautomatically-programmed paper cutter having a backstop programmerextending along one of the side edges of the table and having backstopcontrol means on the backstop carrier and engageable with the backstopprogrammer to control the backstop drive means. With this construction,the paper cutter may be programmed to cut a lift of paper in apredetermined pattern automatically. A related object is to mount thebackstop programmer on the fence and to mount the backstop control meanson the-corresponding end of the cross bar of the backstop carrier. Stillanother object is to provide a backstop programmer which includes acapstan rotatable about a longitudinal axis and carryingcircumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending, programming membersselectively engageable by the backstop control means upon rotation ofthe capstan.

A further object of the invention is to provide a backstop control meanswhich includes a backstop control valve in one of the fluid linesleading to the respective ends of the cylinder of the backstop drivemotor. A related object is to provide means for manually adjusting themaximum opening of the backstop control valve to limit the backstopspeed.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the presentinvention, together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults thereof which will be obvious to those skilled in the art towhich the invention relates, may be achieved with the exemplaryembodiments of the invention described in detail hereinafter andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view on a reduced scale of a guillotinetype papercutter of the invention with certain covers removed;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, partially in section, of the papercutter;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of the papercutter showing the left side thereof;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view, partially in section, of the papercutter;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the paper cutter which istaken along the arrowed line 55 of FIG. 3 and which shows the knife barof the paper cutter in its upper position;

FIG. 6 is a view whhich is identical to FIG. 5 except that it shows theknife bar in its lower position;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged, fragmentary sectional views respectivelytaken along the arrowed lines 77 and 8-8 of FIG. 6 and showing aknife-bar guide means for guiding the ends of the knife bar upwardly anddownwardly along laterally sloping, parallel paths;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are fragmentary sectional views respectively taken asindicated by the arrowed lines 99 and 1010 of FIG. 7 and showing detailsof the knife-bar guide means;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated bythe arrowed line 11-11 of FIG. 6 and showing a knife-bar drive means ofthe invention;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated bythe arrowed line 1212 of FIG. 6 and showing a knife bar and a clamp barof the paper cutter in cross section;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view duplicating a portion of FIG. 12on an enlarged scale and showing a guillotine-type blade or knife of thepaper cutter in cross section;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally as indicated bythe arrowed line 14-14 of FIG. 12, but showing a backstop of the papercutter advanced nearly to its forwardmost position relative to the clampbar;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary isometric sectional view illustrating arepairable cutting stick of the invention and a method of repairing it;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 but showing an alternativerepairable cutting stick and means for repairing it;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated bythe arrowed line 1717 of FIG. 4 and showing a clamp-bar drive means ofthe paper cutter;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary sectional view duplicating a portion of FIG. 17but showing various parts of the clamp-bar drive means in differentrelative positions;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated bythe arrowed line 1919 of FIG. 6 and showing a backstop guide and drivemeans of the invention;

FIGS. 20, 21, 22 and 23 are fragmentary sectional views respectivelytaken as indicated by the arrowed lines 2020, 2121, 22-22 and 2323 ofFIG. 19, and showing details of the backstop guide and drive means;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated bythe arrowed line 2424 of FIG. 4 and illustrating a backstop programmerof the invention;

FIG. 25 is a transverse sectional view through the backstop programmerwhich is taken as indicated by the arrowed line 25-25 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated bythe arrowed line 2626 of FIG. 2 and illustrating a backstopposition-indicating and control means of the paper cutter of theinvention;

FIG. 27 is a view taken as indicated by the arrowed line 2727 of FIG.26;

FIG. 28 is a mirror image of an enlarged, fragmentary sectional viewtaken as indicated by the arrowed line 2828 of FIG. 26 and illustratingdetails of the backstop control means;

FIG. 29 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the hydraulic system of thepaper cutter;

FIG. 30 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrat ing an alternativefor a portion of the hydraulic system of FIG. 29, and, morespecifically, an alternative backstop control means;

FIG. 31 is a diagrammatic view of a manually-operated clamping-forcecontrol means for the clamp bar of the paper cutter; and

FIG. 32 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the clamp bar of thepaper cutter showing an automatic clamping-force control means.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Throughout the drawings, the guillotine-type papercutter of the invention is designated generally by the numeral andincludes the following general components:

A supporting means or structure comprising a laterally extending base102 engageable with a floor 103, a table 104 connected to the baseadjacent but rearwardly of the front edge 106 of the table, and anauxiliary table support 108 located on the longitudinal centerline ofthe table and connected to the rear edge 110 thereof, such auxiliarysupport being shown as engaging the floor 103, but being connectibledirectly to the base as an alternative;

A knife bar v112 mounted on the base 102 and located above and extendinglaterally across the table 104, the knife bar being positioned directlyabove the base so that paper cutting forces are transmitted directly tothe base;

A guillotine-type blade or knife 114 carried by the knife bar 112 andextending laterally across the table 104;

Knife-bar guide means 116 on the base 102 at opposite sides of the table104, and on opposite ends of the knife bar 112, for guiding the knifebar upwardly and downwardly along a laterally sloping path, theknife-bar path sloping downwardly to the left in the particularconstruction illustrated;

Hydraulic knife-bar drive means 118 carried by the base 102 below thetable 104, and connected to the ends of the knife bar 112, for movingthe knife bar upwardly and downwardly along its laterally sloping path;

A clamp bar 120 located above and extending laterally across the table104 adjacent and behind the knife bar 112 and adapted to clamp a lift ofpaper against the table as a lateral cut through the lift is made by theknife 1 14;

Clamp-bar mounting and guide means 122 carried by the base at oppositesides of the table 104 for guiding the clamp bar 120 upwardly anddownwardly relative to the table;

Clamp-bar drive means 124 carried by the base 102 below the table 104for moving the clamp bar 120 upwardly and downwardly relative to thetable;

A backstop 1% extending laterally across the table 104 and slidable onthe upper surface of the table be tween a rearward position adjacent therear edge 110 of the table and a forward position adjacent the knife andclamp bars 112 and 120, the backstop being engageable with the rear edgeof the lift of paper to advance successive portions of the lift to theoperating station occupied by the knife and clamp bars;

T-square backstop guide means 128 located below the table 104 andconnected to the ends of the backstop 126 along the side edges of thetable for guiding the backstop longitudinally of the table between itsrearward and forward positions;

Hydraulic backstop drive means 130 below the table 104 and incorporatedin the T-square backstop guide means 128 for moving the backstop 126longitudinally of the table 104 between its rearward and forwardpositions;

A fence 132 extending longitudinally of the table 104 along one sideedge of the table, preferably the left side edge thereof, and engageablewith the corresponding side edge of the lift of paper to guide the liftlongitudinally of the table;

A backstop programmer 134 mounted on the fence 132 and extending alongthe corresponding side edge of the table 104; and

Backstop control means 136 movable with the backstop 126 and engageablewith the backstop programmer to control the backstop drive means 130.

The foregoing general components of the paper cutter 100 of theinvention will be considered in more detail hereinafter undercorresponding headings.

Base 102 Except for the small fraction of the weight of the paper cutter100 which is carried by the auxiliary support 108 in the particularconstruction illustrated, the entire weight of the machine istransmitted to the floor 103 through two laterally-spaced,floor-engaging feet 140 on the base, which feet may be secured to thefloor by bolts 142, FIGS. and 6. As will be pointed out hereinafter,many of the components of the paper cutter are mounted directly on thebase 102 so that the weights thereof are transmitted directly to thebase, the weights of the remaining components being transmitted theretoindirectly through the table 104. Preferably, the base 102 is anextremely rigid casting so that it provides proper support for all ofthe components of the machine despite uneven settling of the floor 103,or the like.

In addition to supporting virtually the entire weight of the papercutter 100, the base 102 is provided internally thereof with a reservoir144 for the hydraulic fluid used to power such components as theknife-bar drive means 118, the clamp-bar drive means 124 and thebackstop drive means 130. Thus, the base 102 serves a dual function.Additionally, as will be described later, various hydraulic componentsof the paper cutter 100 are mounted on the base 102 within or above thereservoir 144 formed thereby so that any leakage from such components isdischarged directly into the reservoir, which is an important feature.

In addition to the foregoing structural features, the base 102 isprovided on opposite sides of the table 104 with two integral, laterallyspaced supports 146 for the knife-bar and clamp-bar guide means 116 and122, such supports projecting upwardly above the upper surface of thetable. These supports 146 are rigidly interconnected by the base 102itself, thereby obviating any necessity for any interconnecting yoke, orthe like, above the knife and clamp bars 112 and 120. Thus, the spaceabove the knife and clamp bars 112 and and between the supports 146 isunobstructed to provide the paper cutter 100 with a low profile.Consequently, the operator of the paper cutter 100, from his station atthe front of the machine, can readily observe the lift of paper on thetable 104 rearwardly of the knife and clamp bars 112 and 120, and canreadily observe the operation of such components as the backstop 126which are located behind the knife and clamp bars. This low profile, andits attendant advantages, represent an important feature of theinvention.

Table 104 The table 104 is essentially a rectangular plate having aplane upper surface. The table 104 is suitably stiffened both laterallyand longitudinally by integral lateral and longitudinal stiffening ribson its lower surface, which ribs will not be described in detail. Thetable 104 is suitably bolted to the base 102 at 147, FIG. 1, below theknife bar 112 so that the cutting forces, which are the major forcesapplied to the table, do not tend to alter the positional relationshipbetween the table and the base. Lateral extensions 148 are secured tothe table 104 forwardly of the base 102 to provide additional workingareas to receive stacks of paper from the lift being cut.

Knife bar 112 and knife 114 Referring particularly to FIGS. 5, 12 and 13of the drawings, the knife bar 112 is essentially a beam of sufficientlength to span the space between the two supports 146 on the base 102 atopposite sides of the table 104. The knife bar 112 is provided in itslower edge with a downwardly-facing, inverted, V-shaped groove 150. Theknife 114 is a guillotine-type double-edged knife of diamond crosssection complementary to the V-shaped groove 150, As shown in FIGS. 12and 13, the knife 114 is seated in the V-shaped groove 150 with onecutting edge 152 of the knife exposed and with the other disposed in aprotective cavity 154 at the apex of the groove 150. As will beapparent, with this construction, cutting forces acting on the knife 114merely serve to seat it more firmly in its V-shaped groove 150.

Preferably, the two halves of the knife 114 are hollow ground, asindicated at 156. This facilitates resharpening of the cutting edges 152by minimizing the amount of material which must be removed.

An important feature of the invention is that each half of the knife 114is provided, as best shown in FIG. 13, with back clearance 158 betweenthe corresponding back plane 160 and the lift 162 being cut. The backclearance 158, which may be of the order of one degree, is importantbecause it minimizes the forward reaction force applied to the knife bar112 as the result of the interaction between the knife 114 and the lift162 during the shearing operation.

Considering the manner in which the knife 114 is held in its V-shapedgroove 150, and referring particularly to FIGS. and 12 of the drawings,the knife bar 112 is provided with an upwardly-and-forwardly slopingsurface 164 terminating at its upper edge in an upwardly-andforwardlyfacing shoulder 166. Covering part of the top and front sides of theknife bar 112 is a clip 168 having a portion 170 complementary to andseated on the shoulder 166. Seated on the portion 170 of the clip 168are the heads of long, slender bolts 172 which slope downwardly andrearwardly, parallel to the surface 164, and which are threaded at theirlower ends into the knife 114, the hollow ground surfaces of the knifebeing generally parallel to the bolts 172. The surface 164 of the knifebar 112 is provided therein with laterally spaced,downwardly-and-rearwardly sloping channels 174 therein which receive therespective bolts 172.

It will be apparent that, with the foregoing construction, the knife 114 is held in its V-shaped groove 150 by tightening the bolts 172 to seatthe heads thereof against the shoulder 166 on the knife bar 112, throughthe intervening portion 170 of the clip 168. In order to remove theknife 114, it is merely necessary to loosen the bolts 172 suflicientlyto permit the portion 170 of the clip 168 to be slipped downwardly andforwardly off the shoulder 166 on the knife bar. Subsequently, the bolts172 can be withdrawn downwardly and forwardly from their channels 174,whereupon the knife 112 can be removed from its V-shaped groove 150. Theclip 168 may be used as a handle for removal and subsequent handling ofthe knife 114, thereby avoiding any necessity for handling the knifeitself, which is an important feature. A similar procedure may befollowed in installing the knife 114.

It will be noted that the holes in the knife 114 for the bolts 172extend entirely through the knife so that the bolts can be threaded intosuch holes from either end thereof. This permits reversing the positionof the knife so that the other cutting edge 152 thereon can be utilized.As will be apparent, this reversal of the bolt position can beaccomplished with one of the hollow ground surfaces of the knife 114lying flat on a suitable supporting surface, thereby avoiding anynecessity for handling the knife itself during this operation.

Considering another important feature of the invention, the diameter ofthe bolts 172 is quite small as compared to the cross sectionaldimensions of the knife 114, and the length of the bolts is large ascompared thereto. More particularly, the diameter of the bolts 172 isbut a fraction of the smallest cross sectional dimension of the knife114, and the length of the bolts is at least double the largest crosssectional dimension of the knife. Additionally, the bolts 172 have a lowspring rate which, coupled with their long length and small diameter,result in holding the knife 114 in its V-shaped groove 150 in a positivemanner even if cutting forces drive the knife further into its groove.Thus, it is unnecessary to retighten the bolts 172 after the machine hasbeen in operation for a time.

As shown in FIGS. 12, 13, 15 and 16, the table 104 is provided in itsupper surface with a dovetail groove 176 in the plane of cut of theoperative cutting edge 152 of the knife 114. The groove 176 contains acutting stick 178 capable of being penetrated by the operative cuttingedge 152 of the knife 114 at the lower end of the stroke of the knifebar 112, thereby providing sufiicient downward cutting edge travel toinsure cutting the lowermost sheet of paper in the lift 162. Animportant feature of the invention is that the cutting stick 178 isrepairable. One way of accomplishing this is to make the cutting stick178 of an alloy which is heat softenable at a relatively lowtemperature. Thus, the cutting stick 178 can be repaired, i.e., providedwith a smooth upper surface, by running a soldering iron 180, FIG. 15,or other heating device, over the upper surface of the cutting stick.FIG. 16 illustrates an alternative wherein the heat softenable cuttingstick 178 has a suitable heating element 182, such as a resistanceheating element, embedded therein. By energizing the heating element 182sufficiently to melt the alloy of the cutting stick 178, it willautomatically have its upper surface restored to a smooth surface. Otherrepairable cutting sticks formed of suitable plastic materials may alsobe used.

Knife-bar guide means 116 The knife bar 112 is guided along itslaterally sloping path by laterally sloping, parallel ramps on thesupports 146 at opposite sides of the table 104. Each support 146 isprovided with two such ramps 190 spaced apart in the fore-and-aft orlongitudinal direction, as shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 8 of the drawings.The angle of inclination of the ramps 190, which preferably slopedownwardly to the left, is such as to provide an optimum cutting anglefor the knife 114, e.g., a cutting angle of the order of 20 to 25.

The knife bar 112 is provided at each end thereof with two ramp followerwheels 192 spaced apart in and rotatable about an axis extending in thefore-and-aft direction, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The wheels 192are seated on and rollable along the respective ramps 190 to guide theknife bar 112 upwardly and downwardly along its laterally sloping path.

As best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the wheels 192 at each end of the knifebar 112 are mounted on a shaft 194 journalled in an eccentric sleeve 196in a bore 198 through the corresponding knife-bar end, the eccentricsleeve being secured by a set screw 200, FIG. 9. As best shown in FIG.10, each eccentric sleeve 196 is provided at one end thereof with flats202 engageable by a wrench, not shown, for adjusting the angularposition of such eccentric sleeve. With this construction, the angularposi tions of the eccentric sleeves 196 may be adjusted to raise orlower the knife bar 112 as required to obtain the desired penetration ofthe operative cutting edge 152 of the knife 114 into the cutting stick178. For example, the adjustment provided by the eccentric sleeves 196may be used to compensate for decreases in the spacings of the cuttingedges 152 of the knife 114 due to repeated sharpenings.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the ramps 190 are provided at theirlower ends with upwardly concave, arcuate terminal portions or valleys204. The valleys perform the important function of providing forovertravel of the knife bar 112 as it is decelerated at the lower end ofits stroke. The fact that the knife bar 112 must go upwardly slightly asthe wheels 192 traverse the valleys 204 increases the deceleration ofthe knife bar 112. Consequently, the knife bar 112 may be drivendownwardly at full speed until the knife 114 has cut entirely throughthe lift of paper, the knife bar subsequently being decelerated as thewheels 192 thereon negotiate the valleys 204 at the lower ends of theramps 190.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 7 and 8, the supports 146 on the base102 at opposite sides of the table 104 comprise longitudinally spacedplates which provide each support with longitudinally spaced gibs 206receiving the corresponding knife-bar end therebetween and restrainingsame against movement in the fore-and-aft direction. The upper edges ofthe plates forming the gibs 206 constitute the ramps 190. Thisconstruction provides a very compact and simple means for guiding theknife bar 112 along its 11 laterally sloping path while simultaneouslyrestraining it against fore-and-aft movement.

The ends of the knife bar 112 are provided on the forward side of theknife bar with thrust bearings 208 respectively engageable with thefront gibs 206 to resist forward forces on the knife bar resulting fromthe guillotine action of the knife 114. As previously pointed out,forward forces on the knife bar 112 are minimized by providing the knife114 with the back clearance 158. The rear face of the knife bar 112directly engages the rear gibs 206, no thrust bearings being necessaryat these points because rearward forces on the knife bar are negligible.

The thrust bearings 208 are provided with bosses 210 which projectrearwardly into and are suitably sealed relative to counterbores 212 inthe respective ends of the knife bar 112, the counterbores 212terminating in bores 214 through the rear face of the knife bar.Compression springs 216 in the counterbores 212 bias the thrust bearings208 against the front gibs 206.

Considering the manner in which the gibs 206 are lubricated, each endface of the knife bar 112 is provided with an oil passage 218, FIG. 9,leading to the corresponding counterbore 212. The rear end of thecorresponding bore 214 is provided with an oil-porous plug 220 throughwhich oil in the corresponding counterbore 212 may seep to lubricate thecorresponding rear gib 206. Each thrust bearing 208 is provided thereinwith an oilporous plug 222 through which oil may seep from thecorresponding counterbore 212 to lubricate the corresponding front gib206. This provides a very simple and direct lubricating system for thegibs 206. Also, it will be noted that since the supports 146 for theknife bar 112 are spaced laterally from the side edges of the table 104,it is impossible for any of the lubricating oil for the gibs 206 tocontaminate the upper surface of the table.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the space between the longitudinally-spacedramp-and-gib-forming portions of the right-hand support 146 communicateswith the upper surface of the table 104 to provide a paper chutedesignated generally by the numeral 224. Small scraps of paper producedby the knife 114, as in making trim cuts in cutting cards, labels, orthe like, may be discharged from the table 104 into a suitablewaste-paper receptacle, not shown, through the paper chute 224.

The left-hand support 146 provides a wedge-shaped notch, not shown, toreceive the knife 114 at the lower end of its stroke. If not prevented,paper scrap from the table 104 could pass through this notch and foul apart of the knife-bar drive means 118 to be described hereinafter. Toprevent this, the invention provides a paper deflector 228, FIG. 6,movable upwardly and downwardly with the knife bar 112 and closing thewedge-shaped notch mentioned. To provide the proper motion for the paperdeflector 228, it is mounted on a long arm 230, FIG. 3, pivotallyconnected to the rear end of the fence 132. A suitable spring, notshown, biases the paper deflector 228 upwardly against the sloping frontsurface of the knife 114 so that the paper deflector 228 moves upwardlyand downwardly with the knife bar 112. In doing this, it constantlykeeps the aforementioned wedge-shaped notch in the lefthand support 146closed.

Knife-bar drive means 118 As will be apparent, the knife-bar guide means116 resists only downward forces acting on the knife bar 112 and isincapable of resisting upward forces acting thereon. Such upward forcesare resisted by the knife-bar drive means 118 in a manner which providesan automatic overload relieving system, as will be describedsubsequently in this section.

As best shown in FIGS. and 6 of the drawings, the knife-bar drive means118 includes a hydraulic knife-bar drive motor 232 of the reciprocatingtype disposed within the base 102 so that any leakage therefromdischarges directly into the reservoir 144. The knife-bar drive motor232 includes a cylinder 234 one end of which is anchored by means of alongitudinally-extending pin 236 spanning the interior of the base 102and suitably secured to the front and rear walls of the base.Reciprocable in the cylinder 234 is a piston 238 having connnectedthereto a piston rod 240 which projects from the opposite end of thecylinder. The outer end of the piston rod 240 is connected to theright-hand end of the knife bar 112 by a pin 242, as best shown in FIG.7.

As will be apparent, extension and contraction of the knife-bar drivemotor 232 respectively result in upward and downward movement of theknife bar 112 along its ramps 190. The knife-bar drive motor 232 issubstantially parallel to the ramps 190, but is oriented at a slightlysteeper angle so that it applies to the right-hand end of the knife bar112 a force component acting to maintain the corresponding wheels 192 inengagement with the corresponding ramps 190. Thus, the knife-bar drivemotor 232 restrains the right-hand end of the knife bar 112 againstupward movement.

Referring to FIG. 11 of the drawings, the ends of the cylinder 234 andthe corresponding ends of the piston 238 are formed to provide twodashpot means, each designated generally by the numeral 246, fordecelerating the piston 238 and the knife bar 112 at the ends of theirrespective strokes. Additionally, the piston 238 carries elastomericbumpers 248 respectively engageable with stops 250 at the ends of thecylinder 234. The elastomeric bumpers 248 supplement the deceleratingactions of the dashpot means 246 to eliminate shock at the ends of thestroke of the knife bar 112.

The knife-bar drive means 118 includes yieldable, hydraulic, hold-downmeans 252 for restraining the lefthand end of the knife bar 112 againstupward movement tending to disengage the left-hand wheels 192 from theleft-hand ramps 190. However, the yieldability of the hold-down means252 permits the left-hand end of the knife bar 112 to rise in the eventof an overload, which may result from an excessively thick lift ofpaper, a dull cutting edge 152 on the knife 114, an obstruction, or thelike. This is an important feature since it avoids any necessity for aseparate system to protect against an overload on the knife 114.

Considering the knife-bar hold-down means 252 in more detail, it alsoincludes a hydraulic motor 254 of the reciprocating type within the base102. The knife-bar hold-down motor 254, as best shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and1, includes a cylinder 256 connected at one end to the same pin 236 asthe cylinder 234 of the knife-bar drive motor 232. Disposed in thecylinder 256 is a piston 258 having connected thereto a piston rod 260projecting from the opposite end of the cylinder. A compression spring262 encircling the piston rod 260 biases the piston 258 toward theanchored end of the cylinder 256. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the freeend of the piston rod 260 has connected thereto one end of a cable 264which is trained under a pulley 266 carried by the base 102 and whichhas its other end connected to a pin 268 on the left-hand end of theknife bar 112, as best shown in FIG. 8. The cable 264 is suitabilitysealed between the pulley 266 and the hold-down motor 254 to preventleakage of hydraulic fluid from the base 102 along the cable. (Thepurpose of the hereinbefore-described paper deflector 228 is to preventpaper scraps from fouling the cable 264 and pulley 266.)

The relative positions of the pulley 266 and the lefthand ramps are suchthat the left-hand end of the knife bar 112 moves up and down such rampswith very little extension and contraction of the hold-down motor 254.Thus, the hold-down piston 258 is subject to relatively little movementfrom the positions shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The hold-down cylinder 256 isprovided with a pressure inlet fitting 270 which applies hydraulicpressure to the hold-down piston 258 in a direction to tension the cable264, this fitting being so located that it con-

